LEWISTON – The 24-hour police watch on Lisbon Street’s falling buildings is costing the city nearly $1,300 per day.

However, officials believe the overtime bill will be recouped.

“We’re billing out,” police Chief William Welch said Wednesday. “I’m confident that the city won’t foot the bill.”

Ever since the downtown fire broke out Dec. 19, the Police Department has kept a watch over the Greely, Cressey, Kora Temple and New England Furniture buildings from 149 to 177 Lisbon St.

Until Dec. 22, the watch was a regular part of the investigation of the fire, making sure no one entered the crime scene before authorities finished inside.

Since then, the watch is meant to keep people from getting too close to the wobbly structures. “It’s a public safety issue,” Welch said.

The department is charging $53 per hour for the service, $43 per hour for the officer and $10 more for the cruiser. The 24-hour charge is $1,272.

For the officers, working either four or eight-hour shifts, it’s a chance to make extra holiday money, Welch said.

“We haven’t had a difficult time finding officers who wish to work,” he said.

The watch cost will be passed onto property owners along with charges for the demolitions, which began Saturday.

On Dec. 22, the City Council voted to condemn all four buildings and hire a contractor to demolish them. The bills will be passed on to the property owners. If they go unpaid, the city will place liens on the properties, said Jim Bennett, city administrator.

The safety watch is expected to continue until at least Tuesday, Welch said.